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Ollie Pope is amongst many inside English cricket watching Ben Stokes on the IPL with bated breath.
Regardless of nursing a difficult left knee, Stokes selected to fulfil his dedication to Chennai Tremendous Kings. Strengthened by a cortisone injection previous to travelling out to India, England’s Check captain is at the moment two video games into his stint and even bowled within the victory over Lucknow Tremendous Giants on Monday, albeit an over that went for 18. Even with guarantees from the person himself that he will not take undue dangers, and the reassurance supplied by head coach Brendon McCullum that the medical workforce at Chennai – one in every of McCullum’s former franchises – will take care of Stokes, all the pieces is crossed he arrives again in a single piece forward of an Ashes summer season.
For Pope, the priority is a bit more complicated. Whereas Stuart Broad was the unofficial vice-captain throughout the 2022 summer season, it was Pope who truly fulfilled the function over the winter, skippering two warm-up matches – towards England Lions in Abu Dhabi forward of December’s Pakistan tour, then in New Zealand forward of the two-match collection in February. Granted, they had been low-key affairs (each two-day matches which Stokes selected to skip), however the England administration gave Pope the alternatives to additional his management credentials and had been impressed by what they noticed.
Stokes has been reticent to call a deputy formally. However ought to he be unable to take to the sector at any level this summer season – he may even select to sit down out the Eire Check at Lord’s which begins on June 1 – Pope is evidently the subsequent in line. Although he hopes in any other case, Pope backs himself to do the job, if required. His solely earlier expertise in aggressive cricket got here in September 2021, main Surrey in a County Championship match towards Glamorgan.
“It isn’t a dialog that is been had, it is simply one thing that if it comes about, then I really feel assured,” Pope stated. “I really feel the cricket mind’s ok to permit that to occur. Whether or not they select to try this in a Check, I’ve actually no thought.
“Fingers crossed, contact wooden – his [Stokes] knee’s all good. Firstly, that is not one thing we have spoken about. I do not know if Stokesy did go down, I am undecided who would do it to be…
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